The United States’ entire fleet of CV-22 Ospreys has been grounded by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) following a Nov. 29 crash off the Japanese coast that claimed the lives of eight service members. Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the AFSOC commander, announced an “operational standdown” of the Osprey fleet until the investigation into the crash off the shore of Japan’s Yakushima Island is completed. There is no timeline for the investigation, and a possible end date has not been revealed publicly. Although Lt. Bauernfeind has implied that the Osprey fleet will return to service at some point, the decision to ground the fleet comes in light of the recent fatal crash as well as the long history of Osprey crashes worldwide.
Search and recovery operations are still ongoing to locate the remains of two service members still missing following the crash. The Air Force has declared that all eight service members aboard the aircraft are deceased. According to Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind, the standing down of the fleet will allow for a comprehensive investigation to identify the causes and recommendations to ensure the safe return of the Air Force CV-22 fleet.
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has also announced a grounding bulletin for all V-22 Osprey variants, citing the crash in Yakushima as the reason for the cautionary measure. The U.S. Navy stated that they would be implementing additional risk mitigation controls and continue to communicate and collaborate with V-22 stakeholders and customers, including allied partners.
Japan has requested the grounding of all Osprey aircraft not engaged in emergency recovery operations following the Nov. 29 training mission crash. In response, all 14 of Japan’s Ospreys have been grounded. Osprey crashes have been an ongoing issue for the U.S. military, leading to fleet groundings in the past, including one due to clutch slip incidents causing uneven power distribution to the rotors.